What Does Zero Calorie REALLY Mean?
We have all seen these labels on food: Zero calorie, sugar free, zero sugar added, no sugar added. Sometimes it’s labeled as diet, diet juice, diet soda…
You read that and assume it’s the healthier choice. After all, calories are bad, right?
But what does that label really mean? Does it mean whatever is in that particular food is healthier for you? Not quite. What it means, most of the time, is that the food product is sweetened with a non-nutritive sweetener. A "zero calorie sweetener." Zero calorie sweeteners are NOT better for you.
So when you see zero calorie on the label, before you pick the product to buy, I urge you to read the label. Turn that box over and head on over to the ingredients list.
Now fake sugar (zero calorie sweetener) isn’t always easy to find. Sometimes it will be labeled as “Stevia” other times it won’t because it’s not stevia.
You see, there are many different types of fake sugars (zero calorie sweeteners). Contrary to what many people believe, stevia is FAKE. Yes it comes from the stevia plant, however, it is chemically processed, and manipulated so that it is completely different from the actual plant itself.
Stevia might also be listed as Reb A, or Rebaudioside A. This is coming from a sweet part of the stevia plant.
Other types of artificial sweeteners include:
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Aspartame
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Sucralose
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Acesulfame K
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Saccharin
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Xylitol
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Neotame
Many of these sweeteners have been
linked to cancer and tumors in rats.
Did you know Stevia was banned by the FDA in the 1990’s because of it’s links to cancer?
The soft drink industry became involved and the ban was turned around. (Nice!)
So the next time you pick up a box of food or a bottle of juice that says zero calorie, take 10 extra seconds to find the ingredient label.
Look for that lab created sugar. Cane sugar is good to avoid. But if you are stuck between choosing a fake sugar, or cane sugar, my personal choice is to always opt for the cane sugar.
Cane sugar is not made in a lab. Choose REAL over lab made any day, all day. Your body will thank you!
Remember: when you see a product that claims to be "diet" or "sugar free," read that label. You can't assume because it has zero calories, or less calories that it is GOOD for you!
Calories are bad when they are coming from inadequate, low quality food sources. Calories are bad when they are coming from lab made ingredients. Other than that, if you eat according to your hunger and fullness, listen to your body, and eat a variety of REAL foods, calroes are NOT the enemy!
I changed my life by changing what I ate. For years I struggled with fatigue, joint pain, heart palpitations, acid reflux, and this list goes on...
Doctors either recommended medications, or they told me they had no idea what was causing my complaints.
Little by little, I became fed up with the "system." Little by little I decided it didn't have to be this way, I was young, I exercised, I should not have these health problems. I began to do research of my own, learning slowly but surely the changes I could make to get some relief. And eventually I came to what is now my Eat Smart System, and had my own REAL results.
It was a long journey for me, and now I want to share it all with YOU! If you are struggling with stubborn weight, fatigue, or just feeling lousy, Eat Smart can help! Eat Smart helps you find real, clean food products, healthy swaps for your favorites (like Doritos and oreos!) and provides recipes using REAL ingredients.
The best part? There is NO cutting out your favorite foods. Love pizza? You CAN have it and feel WELL. Love cake, yep, there are clean swaps and recipes for that too!
Love eating out, let Eat Smart show you the best options for clean eating at your favorite restaurants.
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